Incorporating dominant species as proxies for biotic interactions strengthens plant community models

dc.contributor.authorLe Roux, Peter Christiaan
dc.contributor.authorPellissier, Loïc
dc.contributor.authorWisz, Mary S.
dc.contributor.authorLuoto, Miska
dc.contributor.emailpeter.leroux@up.ac.zaen_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-07-07T06:28:55Z
dc.date.issued2014-05
dc.description.abstract1. Biotic interactions exert considerable influence on the distribution of individual species and should, thus, strongly impact communities. Implementing biotic interactions in spatial models of community assembly is therefore essential for accurately modelling assemblage properties. However, this remains a challenge due to the difficulty of detecting the role of species interactions and because accurate paired community and environment data sets are required to disentangle biotic influences from abiotic effects. 2. Here, we incorporate data from three dominant species into community-level models as a proxy for the frequency and intensity of their interactions with other species and predict emergent assemblage properties for the co-occurring subdominant species. By analysing plant community and fieldquantified environmental data from specially designed and spatially replicated monitoring grids, we provide a robust in vivo test of community models. 3. Considering this well-defined and easily quantified surrogate for biotic interactions consistently improved realism in all aspects of community models (community composition, species richness and functional structure), irrespective of modelling methodology. 4. Dominant species reduced community richness locally and favoured species with similar leaf dry matter content. This effect was most pronounced under conditions of high plant biomass and cover, where stronger competitive impacts are expected. Analysis of leaf dry matter content suggests that this effect may occur through efficient resource sequestration. 5. Synthesis. We demonstrate the strong role of dominant species in shaping multiple plant community attributes, and thus the need to explicitly include interspecific interactions to achieve robust predictions of assemblage properties. Incorporating information on biotic interactions strengthens our capacity not only to predict the richness and composition of communities, but also how their structure and function will be modified in the face of global change.en_US
dc.description.librarianhb2014en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipAcademy of Finland (Project Number 1140873) and The Danish Council for Independent Research grant number 12-126430en_US
dc.description.urihttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2745en_US
dc.identifier.citationLe Roux, PC, Pellissier, L, Wisz, MS & Luoto, M 2014, 'Incorporating dominant species as proxies for biotic interactions strengthens plant community models', Journal of Ecology, vol. 102, no. 3, pp.767-775.en_US
dc.identifier.issn0022-0477 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1365-2745 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1111/1365-2745.12239
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/40559
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherWiley-Blackwellen_US
dc.rights© 2014 The Authors. Journal of Ecology © 2014 British Ecological Society. The definite version is available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2745.en_US
dc.subjectAbiotic gradientsen_US
dc.subjectBiotic interactionsen_US
dc.subjectCommunity compositionen_US
dc.subjectDeterminants of plant community diversity and structureen_US
dc.subjectFunctional structureen_US
dc.subjectLeaf dry matter contenten_US
dc.subjectSpecies distribution modellingen_US
dc.subjectSpecies richnessen_US
dc.titleIncorporating dominant species as proxies for biotic interactions strengthens plant community modelsen_US
dc.typePreprint Articleen_US

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